Study shows residents near heavy traffic at higher risk of dementia

If you live near a busy road, your health may be in danger beyond noise and air pollution. In fact, you could be at a greater risk of dementia.

The research tracked 6.6 million adults in Ontario, Canada for more than a decade, and was recently published in The Lancet. It found that people living closest to major traffic areas were more likely to be diagnosed with dementia.

According to The Guardian, the co-author of the paper, Ray Copes, said that those living in cities should consider walking along side streets, jogging in parks and planning cycle routes along quieter roads where possible.

“The real implications are not for individual choice, but at the societal and policy level,” Copes wrote.”

The study determined that people living within 50 meters of heavy traffic in a major city were 12 percent more likely to develop dementia, and the rates gradually decreased the further away residents lived from traffic areas. People that lived 101 to 200 meters away from traffic had only a 2 percent higher risk.

The research also looked for links with Parkinson’s and multiple sclerosis, but no association was found. Watch the video to see how a Texas Sheriff’s Deputy helped a lost veteran find his way back home.